All My Love, Detrick

by Roberta Kagan

  As the two boys continued walking home, Konrad kicked a stone down the cobblestone street, and then looked back up at his friend. Somehow, he must convince Detrick of what he believed to be right.

  “Detrick, it is who you are, too. YOU are an Aryan. WE are the master race. Don’t you realize that we will rule the world soon? The Third Reich will last for a thousand years. This is just the beginning of Germany taking her place as the only world power.”

  “What propaganda you spew! And all of this on the backs of the Jews, right?”

  “Yes, right, not only Jews, other unacceptable groups must be purged as well if we are to purify our race. Homosexuals, gypsies… Don’t you see that we must do this for our future generations?” His face grew blotchy with conviction. He hated homosexuals; the very sight of them brought feelings of nausea.

  “You are my best friend, Konrad, but you’re making me sick to my stomach. No more talk of Nazis or rallies understood?” Detrick’s eyes narrowed.

  A slight fear gripped Konrad, he would not argue with Detrick.

  “Maybe sometime in the future you will join us?”

  “It’s doubtful.”

  Chapter 10

  Leah went to Michael’s bedroom where she found Miriam, her mother, seated in a chair beside his bed. Her head bobbed with eyes half open as she set a novel on the night table. As an invalid, Michael’s activities were limited to sleeping and eating. Books offered his only escape. Many times Miriam or Leah would read to him for hours.

  Michael, who’d almost fallen asleep, opened his eyes to see Leah enter. Although his body, paralyzed from the waist down, lay limp, his face lit up with a smile for his sister.

  “Michael.” She leaned down to kiss his forehead.

  “Hello, Leah.”

  “I brought you some sugar cookies.”

  He reached for the platter and began munching. Miriam fully awake now caressed Michael’s head, never acknowledging her daughter.

  “I love cookies, Leah.” He giggled as the crumbs fell upon his breast.

  “Mother, I have some news.”

  “Yes?”

  “I’ve been dating Lewis Shapiro. If it is all right, he is coming for Sabbath dinner this Friday night.”

  “Lewis Shapiro?” She glanced up at Leah with newfound interest. Everyone knew of Dr. Shapiro and his eligible son, Lewis. Miriam could not contain herself. The Shapiros, considered wealthy by most standards, owned, by far, the nicest home in the area. Delight tickled Miriam Abdenstern.

  “Yes, I hope it’s not inconvenient. I know you and Michael will be forced to dress up a little.”

  “No, not at all.” Miriam thought that if perhaps Lewis married Leah, she might ask him for enough money to send Michael for treatment. Miriam lived her life consumed with guilt over Michael’s accident. Almost every day she thought of all the things she should have done differently.

  It all began on a ski trip to the Swiss Alps. Michael, younger and smaller had emulated his older brother, Karl. Both Miriam and Jacob, experienced skiers helped their two older children, Leah and Karl, to ski down some of the smaller slopes. It had all happened quite suddenly. While engaged in helping Karl, the couple had forgotten to check on Michael. He had been sitting quietly on a bench watching his brother for most of the morning. When Jacob realized that his youngest son had gone missing he searched all around the outside of their cabin, only to find him at the bottom of a hill surrounded by a crowd of stunned onlookers. Jacob raced down the slope, falling and sliding, until, out of breath, he reached his destination. The little boy cried out in pain. Jacob responded immediately, lifting him as if he were weightless, spiriting him away to a nearby hospital. Miriam and the others followed arriving a few minutes later. It seemed like hours, but in reality only forty-five minutes passed before the doctor entered the waiting room. Jacob wrung his hands and chewed the inside of his lip as he waited for the doctor's words.

  “I’m sorry. We did all that we could. He severed a nerve in his spine. I am afraid Michael will be paralyzed from the waist down. Now there are doctors who might be able to help…”

  Miriam never heard another word that the doctor had to say; she fainted.

  From that day forward Miriam never left her son’s side for more than a short period of time.

  And so, she sat beside him as he finished the cookies Leah had brought.

  Leah lifted the empty plate.

  “I’m glad, Mama, that you don’t mind Lewis coming for dinner.”

  “A Shapiro? Of course I don’t mind. Why I’ll be the envy of every Jewish mother in Berlin!” The light that had so long been dim twinkled in her eyes for just a moment.

  Chapter 11

  When Detrick smiled, he illuminated the entire room. And so it was on that Friday afternoon when he arrived at the Abdenstern bicycle shop. Jacob, in the middle of changing a tire, looked up and imagined he saw a glimmering white light surrounding the boy. It flickered for a mere second, and then it disappeared, leaving Jacob to wonder if it had been there at all.

  “So, you had a good day at school?”

  “Yes, I suppose. An old friend of mine has joined the Nazi Party. It disappoints me more than I can say.”

  “Well…I think maybe lots of people are getting swept up in what they consider the promising future of this Third Reich. With luck it will pass. Our friends the Silvers left Germany. I wonder if we should do the same. It is becoming unsafe for Jews.”

  “It is, I know. And whenever one of my fellow Germans foolishly takes up this cause, I am personally ashamed.”

  “Ach, Detrick, it’s not your fault. You have no control over what the others do.” Jacob patted his shoulder. “So, listen, on a lighter note, you are coming tonight to do the lights for us, yeah?”

  “Yes, and once again, thank you, sir.”

  “Stop with the thank yous and with the sirs. You are like a son to me. So, you’re coming for the lights, you should come early and have Sabbath dinner with us. My daughter, Leah is some cook. She makes a cholent that tastes like heaven.” Jacob glanced up from his work to wink at Detrick. “So you’re going to come…?”

  Detrick smiled “What would I ever do without you? Yes, of course I will come. When should I be there?”

  “At sundown. And by the way, you know what is a cholent?”

  “No idea.”

  “It’s like a stew, with goose, and sausage, barley, beans, and just a bissel, or a touch, of goose fat for flavor. Once you taste it I guarantee you’re going to love it.”

  “If you say so, I believe you.”

  They laughed as Detrick drew his stool up to the long wooden work bench. He took down his box of tools and began to unscrew an axle. The men sat side by side as the afternoon drifted away. When four thirty came, Jacob instructed Detrick to go home and get ready. Then he locked the shop and left to prepare for the Sabbath.

  Chapter 12

  A wonderful, rich aroma of bread baking filled the room as Jacob opened the door to the Abdenstern home. The honey-colored wooden table stood in the center of the dining room. The places set with cream-colored china and crystal had been in the family for centuries.

  Jacob kissed Leah. She wore her best black wool dress. It had a sweetheart collar and long sleeves. A thin gold chain with a Star of David hung delicately around her slender neck. The light in the kitchen illuminated her dark hair as she stirred the cholent. A plate of mondel bread, made with chocolate chips and nuts, sat on the counter covered with a white cloth napkin.

  “Good Sabbath, Papa.”

  “Good Sabbath, Sweetheart.”

  Miriam entered the room. “Jacob, I need you to help me carry Michael to the table. I’ve set his special chair out.”

  “Of course, and good Sabbath,” Jacob kissed his wife softly.

  “Yes, it is a good Sabbath; has Leah told you?”

  “Told me what?” Jacob glanced over at his daughter, who blushed and looked away.

  “Just that Lewis Shapiro is coming for di
nner tonight. Can you imagine? Lewis Shapiro, interested in our daughter? Oy what mazel, what luck.”

  “I was also going to tell you that Detrick is coming tonight as well, so set an extra place.”

  “The boy who works with you at the shop?”

  “Yes.”

  “He’s a goy, no?”

  “He’s not Jewish. But he is a wonderful boy and he will turn the lights for us tonight and tomorrow. Now, most importantly I must talk to Karl. Is he here?”

  “No…I don’t know where he is.”

  “I’m afraid he will be insulting to Detrick; you know how he feels about non-Jews.”

  “Can you blame him, Jacob? They are constantly attacking him; he is fighting all the time.”

  “Yes, I know, but not tonight.”

  Miriam straightened her dress. She wore a simple high-collared beige knit with a matching silk scarf and high heels. Even after giving birth to three children, her figure remained slim and girlish. In body type, mother and daughter appeared more like sisters. The only distinguishing feature was that Miriam’s hair had turned almost completely white since Michael’s accident.

  Jacob left the ladies to finish the cooking and went in to see Michael. Propped up with pillows, he smiled. His hair had been slicked back with water, and Miriam had dressed him for the evening’s festivities.

  “Good Sabbath, Father.” Michael reached for Jacob’s arm and squeezed it, smiling warmly as a bit of drool hung from his lips.

  Jacob kissed his son’s forehead.

  “Good Sabbath, my son. Let me help you into the living room, yes?”

  “Yes, I would like that very much. I love to sit with everyone at the table it’s my favorite time.”

  Chapter 13

  Lewis arrived wearing a tailor-made gray pinstriped suit, a stark white shirt and black tie, covered by a black cashmere overcoat. He brought a bottle of kosher wine for Miriam and a bundle of pink roses for Leah. In the winter in Berlin, flowers carried a high price - as much, in fact, as a dinner for an entire family. As he’d planned, the gesture did not go unnoticed; Miriam gazed at him, clearly impressed. Lewis glanced around the dining room. The house could not stand up to the luxury of the Shapiro’s estate or any of the homes of close friends in the crowd Lewis had grown up with. And although he’d walked Leah home and seen the house from the outside, being inside sharpened the class differences between him and Leah in his mind.

  “Good Shabas.” He smiled as Leah took the flowers and wine.

  “Good Shabas, Lewis, I am so glad you could come. She took a crystal vase from a cabinet and filled it with water. Thanks so much for the wine and flowers.”

  “You’re quite welcome, my dear.” He glanced at her approvingly. There could be no doubt that by any standards she’d be considered a beauty. His eyes took in the tiny waist and heart-shaped face. Her light brown eyes specked with gold offset her long, dark hair. Lewis felt the desire rise in him again, so he turned away, trying to settle down before he would enter the dining room and meet the rest of the family.

  “Papa, this is Lewis Shapiro.”

  “Good Sabbath, Lewis.” Jacob extended his hand.

  “Good Sabbath, sir.” Lewis shook Jacob’s hand.

  “This is my mother.”

  “Good Sabbath.” He kissed her hand, and Miriam’s eyes looked though they’d been sprinkled with glitter. She had not felt such an attraction for anyone since she'd first met Jacob. For a split second she wished she were younger. She looked over at Leah. How wonderful to be young and carefree, to watch your future unfold. Her life had taken a bad turn and now she could see no way back.

  “And over here is my brother Michael.”

  “Hello, good Sabbath, Lewis.” As he struggled to sit up, a small line of drool trickled down the left side of Michael’s mouth. He reached out his hand wanting to shake hands with Lewis, who pretended not to notice. “I like it that you’re here with us. It’s so much fun for me to have company.”

  “Good Sabbath, Michael.” Lewis could not help but be repelled as his eyes were drawn to the drool that settled on Michael’s chin; he felt himself gag and had to look away. He hoped he would be seated far from Michael. He did not think he could keep from being sick. Lewis had never told his father about his revulsion for malformed faces and limbs, and the terrible nausea and threat of vomiting he felt when confronted with blood or mucus. Often he wondered how he would ever get through medical school. And another thing plagued his mind - the boy, Michael, quite obviously defective, both physically and mentally, could be reflective of the Abdenstern genetics. If it had been a condition he’d had from birth, Lewis knew that as soon as his mother saw Michael she would forbid any talk of marriage between her son and Leah. So, not only would his mother argue that Leah had no money or class, but she also had a crippled brother who was simple minded. Lewis speculated on the impossible feat it would be to convince his family that this delicate girl, whom he longed to bed, would make a suitable bride.

  A few minutes later Detrick knocked at the door. Jacob answered expecting his friend. The outline of Detrick’s well-toned physique was silhouetted through his black wool pants and white sweater. His broad shoulders and flat stomach, the strongly developed muscles in his arms and legs, could not be hidden by the fabric.

  “Detrick, welcome. Good Shabas, son.’

  “Good Shabas, Jacob.” Detrick smiled as he shook Jacob’s hand and then Detrick handed him a box of Jacob’s favorite chocolate-covered cherries. “I know how much you like these.”

  “You went to the candy store…Thank you, Detrick.”

  Detrick’s dimpled smile reflected the warmth he felt toward Jacob.

  “Come. You’ll meet my family.”

  As soon as he entered the living room, Detrick felt himself magnetically drawn to the beautiful young girl with the maple-colored eyes. Leah glanced back at him. For a moment the rest of the room disappeared, the noise of conversations and clattering of dishes were silenced as the two stood transfixed, their eyes locked on one another.

  Then, remembering herself, Leah quickly looked away as a soft pink blush swept across her cheeks. Even as Jacob made the introductions, Detrick’s eyes never left Leah, and her skin burned with the intensity of his stare.

  “Detrick, sit here between my son Michael and me.” Jacob indicated the chair and Detrick sat.

  “Hello, Michael.” He turned to the boy smiling.

  “Nice to meet you, Detrick. My father always says such nice things about you. And you look like they are all true. My father said you are very good to look at and you are.” Michael giggled and reached out his hand to shake Detrick’s. Detrick shook his hand heartily, which amused Michael, causing him to laugh out loud.

  “And it’s good to meet you too. I’m glad to hear Jacob has pleasant things to say about me.” He winked at Jacob and smiled.

  When she was sure that Detrick’s gaze had shifted to her brother, Leah peeked over at him. She could not help but be impressed by his stunning good looks - his eyes, deep like the ocean, and such an unusual color, a mixture of royal blue and sea green. The chiseled features of his face, high cheekbones and strong chin, relieved by full, sensuous lips, and the dimples when he smiled, made it difficult to look away.

  They held dinner for Karl, waiting until nearly seven o’clock, but he did not arrive. So Miriam lit the candles and began the prayers.

  She covered her head with a white shawl, and with her hands she pulled the smoke from the candles towards her as she closed her eyes.

  Silence filled the room, save for the hauntingly beautiful Hebrew Sabbath prayer. The white candle cast a glow upon Leah’s skin that made Detrick’s heart ache with longing. Halfway through the prayer, the front door opened and Karl came in, accompanied by a rush of snow.

  “Sorry, I’m late. It’s snowing.” He stomped his boots on the mat by the door.

  “And that’s an excuse, Karl?” Jacob glared at his son. “Go, hurry. Get ready, you’ve already missed t
he prayers, we’re having dinner. And we have company tonight.”

  The interruption disrupted the sanctity of the moment.

  Miriam finished the end of the prayer quickly. Then she sat down. The anger on Jacob’s face mirrored her annoyance at Karl’s behavior.

  She’d aspired to impress Leah’s boyfriend, worn her finest dress, and used the best tableware. Now Karl had put a damper on things by his lackadaisical, selfish attitude.

  Karl entered and took his seat beside his mother. With eyes flashing like lightning bolts, she turned to him, not speaking.

  Quick introductions were made by Jacob. Then to break the uncomfortable silence, Karl turned to Lewis.

  “So, do you plan to attend the university?”

  “I do, actually. As I am sure you are aware, my father is the head of surgery. I will follow in his footsteps, but first I think I will take a year off and tour Europe. I’ve been before with my parents, but that is not quite the same; this time I will be on my own. Actually my family has always stressed the importance of travel. It gives a person a rounded view of the world. I guess it will be my education before my formal education.” He smiled, but even as he spoke, Lewis could not help but notice the blatant appreciation in Detrick’s eyes as he gazed at Leah. And, even worse for him, he caught her looking back.

  “So, you’re a worker at the Abdenstern shop, Derrick?” Lewis now turned his full attention on Detrick.

  “It’s Detrick, and yes, I work for Jacob.”

  “You aren’t Jewish. Not with that Nazi blond hair.” He laughed and looked around attempting to rally support amongst the rest of the family. Only Miriam smiled back.

  “I guess you are part of that Aryan race they are all talking about.” Lewis began again “Personally I feel these Nazis of yours have created this superior race as a means of giving the lower class a false sense of supremacy. When in fact we all know they are nothing but uneducated thugs. Now, Detrick…are you or are you not one of them?”